I read a thread on here a few days ago, where someone was asking for requests for new software ideas for the Zen (I have a V plus, 1 gb). Now i can't flippin find the thread, so ill post it here:

I often use just one earbud, while I'm cycling, so's I can hear driver when they beep their horns at me cos I almost killed them in a pile up. With just one earbud in, I cannot hear half of the music (when songs play on the stereo capabilities to give you like echos, or that David Bowie song where he sings two different versions, and they are each on one side). Well, how about having a setting where I have the option to either set the output to mono, or dedicate all the sound to just one side, so when I use one, I don't miss half of the song. I think it would save battery time too, as it would only be powering one side.

Looks to me like they're trying to keep the Zen V plus menu system simple, I doubt they'd add this to the real firmware, but you could ask. You can always just not put the plug all the way in, that works!

Assuming you're in the US, you can get an adapter that'll do this for $4 at Radio Shack. You want one that accepts a stereo 1/8" and spits out a mono 1/8" (http://www.radioshack.com/search/ind...atId=2032058 ). If you just print that out, they'll get you the right one. You might ask if they have it in non-gold-plated, it's likely to be less expensive (does it really do anything?).
I'm 90% sure this'll work by itself - everything in my EE brain tells me it does. But if not, you can either return it (Radio Shack lets you do that) or get a stereo-to-mono adapter (http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search) for $3 and plug the $4 one into it. This'll go stereo->mono->stereo, which'll convert it. The first one, though, should just pick up both stereo lines, put them together, and feed it back into a stereo port.
So, unless there is fancy stuff inside (i.e. not straight connections), the first will be electrically identical to first+second.
Pros:
Works with anything
Simple
Pretty cheap
Cons:
A little bulky, depending on the arrangement of headphone ports and such
Not free
An extra connector
Somewhat of a hassle, not as easy as just switching to "mono" setting

Despite your Cons, I am happy with this solution. Thanks a lot 5of0. I'm in the UK, but I should be able to do it, now that you have given me the idea.

And to answer your question about gold - connections made out of gold are far better than their bogstandard (nikel?) alternatives - they transmit to a better degree of accuracy, and last much longer. You will find that electronics used by the military (in planes etc) will mostly use gold connections for their chips and stuff, as will rock bands for their amps